HP Chief Technology Officer, Global Head of HP Labs

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How to Embrace Change as a Leader

Organizational change is most effective when paired with strong leadership. It’s imperative that leaders prepare for and respond to change in order for the organization and it’s employees to thrive. I welcome change because it brings the opportunity to innovate, transform and ignite growth.

Here are my tips for embracing change as a leader:

Prepare for the journey. Meaningful leadership before, during and after change is key to success. In order for people to follow you during a time of change, you need to be consistent and effective.

When you foresee change, initiate and control it. Prepare for the transition by building resources and relationships, while maintaining a healthy organization. If you establish a track record of innovation and effective decision-making, people will trust in your ability to lead them through any changes.

Lead with confidence. Employees look to leaders for a number of things during a period of change. They expect timely communication, sensible planning and effective decision-making. Most importantly, employees need leaders who are supportive, committed to their employees’ success and able to make tough decisions.

Good leaders make decisions after carefully weighing the data at hand. They also recognize that seeking opinions and asking questions is evidence of confidence and strength, not weakness. Leaders’ ability to navigate change is built on trust in the decisions they make. If your employees trust your judgment, the process of change will be smoother. My goal is always to have people follow me because they want to, not because they have to.

Share the vision. Inspiring and empowering people to accept change and believe in a shared vision are essential when responding to change. Start any discussions about change by providing a clear picture of the future, specifying the shared goal, and motivating them to dive in headfirst. This puts everyone’s sight on the same goal and compels everyone to work together to achieve it.

During our split, I made sure to keep the end vision in mind and focus on it relentlessly. In times of difficult change, it is easy to get caught up in the details of the current and lose sight of the objective. Be patient and consistent in describing the end goal.

There is always a delicate balance between status quo and change. A true leader balances both and can make clear decisions when change is required. Once that is clear, it is imperative to act swiftly and decisively. With the split of HP, this was very clear. In order to move the business forward, a substantial change was required. To make this effective, it must be coupled with a clear vision of what the change will bring

Leaders play a critical role when it comes to change. They must be prepared, show personal commitment and communicate a compelling vision. What are your tips for dealing with change as a leader?

About Shane

Shane Wall is the Chief Technology Officer for HP and the Director of HP Labs. In this role, Shane drives the company’s technology vision and strategy, new business incubation and the overall technical and innovation community. Learn More »

About Shane

As the Chief Technology Officer in the Printing and Personal Systems group, Shane Wall is responsible for leading Hewlett-Packard’s technology vision and strategy, incubating new technology businesses, driving a fully aligned technology roadmap and leading the overall technical community. Learn More »